We collected enough items to fill the entire back of my Jeep as well as three boxes in my classroom. We wanted to work together and do something that combated all forms of cancer.”

Deanna Jacobs

ROCHELLE — While Plano and Rochelle were opponents on the diamond Wednesday evening, the two varsity softball teams were united off the diamond in their efforts to combat cancer. 

Those efforts culminated in the Strike Out Cancer game held at RTHS, where both teams collected items such as toothbrushes, blankets, lotion and more to be donated to the Rochelle Community Hospital’s All About Me Cancer Program, which provides Cancer Care Bags to patients undergoing chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. The fundraising event was planned by Rochelle head coach Deanna Jacobs and Plano head coach Dwayne Love.

“Dwayne was one of my travel coaches when I played softball and we have a personal relationship,” Jacobs said. “We talked before the season started about hosting a fundraiser and we partnered with Rochelle Community Hospital to donate items for them to include in their care bags. We collected enough items to fill the entire back of my Jeep as well as three boxes in my classroom. We wanted to work together and do something that combated all forms of cancer.”

The Strike Out Cancer game is the latest installment in a continuing partnership between the Plano and Rochelle softball teams, which have held multiple games for special causes over the last few seasons. Jacobs said the two teams are already planning next year’s game, which she said will have a focus on autism awareness. During Wednesday’s game, players wore bat helmets and temporary tattoos provided by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

“It was fun to watch the reactions from some of our girls because Plano brought a whole tote bag full of items,” Jacobs said. “The National Fastpitch Coaches Association is pushing to do more games like this and our girls were really excited to see how much Plano supported us.”

Both teams played a competitive game on Wednesday, with the Reapers outlasting the Lady Hubs 5-2. Freshman Emma Heller fired a complete game while striking out six batters for the Lady Hubs (5-18, 0-10 Interstate 8), who will host the IHSA 3A Rochelle Regional next week. Freshman Briel Metzger went 2-for-3 with one RBI to lead the Lady Hub offense in the loss.

Rochelle held a 1-0 lead after the bottom of the second inning, where Heller reached on an error and scored after Metzger’s fielder’s choice grounder to the left side. Plano rallied for three runs on four hits including an RBI double from Taylor Downs and an RBI single from Lindsey Cocks, who scored on an error. The Reapers took a 5-1 lead after tallying two runs in the top of the sixth inning, where Cami Nunez laced an RBI triple before coming home on a passed ball.

Senior Ella Alfano drove Metzger home in the bottom of the seventh inning, sending an RBI single into center field that brought the Reapers within three runs with no outs in the frame. But a strikeout, a flyout and a groundout over the next three at-bats ended the Rochelle threat.